Travel Stories 17

Mount Etna, Sicilian is stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, in the Metropolitan City of Catania. Mount Etna is recorded world’s largest and longest active shield volcano in Europe consisting of large number of fluid lava flow, currently 3,329 m (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit eruptions. It is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area with a basal circumference of 140 km.Continue Reading

Looking to insure your holiday home in UK? Read on to know why you must opt for Schofields holiday home insurance to secure your property.

Insuring your holiday home in UK can be a daunting task. There are often several exclusions in most policies that will leave you wondering if you are well protected. It is important to have an insurance that gives you the assurance that you are adequately covered.

Schofields insurance is designed to offer you peace of mind. We are specialists in insuring holiday cottages and have been offering comprehensive coverage to holiday homes since 1984.

You get excellent value for your insurance with minimal exclusions. You, therefore, no longer have to worry about your home being adequately covered. Whether you visit it frequently or just once in a while, the insurance covers you even when you are renting it out to holidaymakers. Should any unfortunate event happen and you need to make a claim, we are there to help you. Here are some advantages of opting for Schofields holiday home insurance.

1. Security stipulations

We don’t enquire about how secure your locks are and what security measures you have in place. We insure content worth £40,000 right away.

2. Full theft cover

If you or a holidaymaker has left a window open by mistake, most insurance policies will not provide coverage for theft unless there is a break-in attempt. However, Schofields provides full theft cover without requiring you to prove burglary attempt.

3. £5m public liability cover

If someone has an accident at your holiday home and claims against you, we have you covered.

4. £5m employers’ liability cover

If someone employed at your premises, such as your house keeper or cleaner suffers an accident at the site and makes a claim, we are there to help you.

5. Loss of rental income cover

If your holiday home cannot be used for some time, we will cover the loss that you will have to incur from pre-booked guests.

6. Alternative accommodation coverage

We also cover the costs that you are likely to incur to provide alternate accommodation for your guests when there is a loss or damage to property.

7. Accidental damage to contents

Your insurance policy will cover the damage to contents caused by you or your pets or guests.

With Schofields insurance, you can choose the cover you need to protect your property. Whether you are looking to insure just your building or buildings and contents will depend on you. If you are unsure about the best coverage for your property, there are insurance specialists to help you make an informed choice.

Finally, no insurance can provide coverage to every single eventuality, and Schofields has some exclusions too. The specialists will inform you about them so that you can pick the best coverage for your holiday home. With the right policy in place, you can have peace of mind.

Chicago may not be the primary winter make a trip goal that rings a bell for most sightseers, however there are a considerable measure of astounding things to see and do in the city on the off chance that you will overcome the icy. Here is a look at some of the best winter attractions in Chicago.

Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park is one of Chicago’s most well known traveler goals year-round. In the winter it is home to an open air ice-skating arena that gloats a perspective of the city’s celebrated Michigan Avenue. Skating season starts in November, without a moment to spare for the occasions. On the off chance that you are searching for a fabulous perspective, go skating after sundown. The lights of downtown make an amazing background for skaters around.

The CTA Holiday Train

In the event that you plan to go to Chicago amongst Thanksgiving and Christmas, a ride on the CTA Holiday Train is an absolute necessity. The uniquely brightened train advances through the well known Chicago ” Loop ” at pre- scheduled times all through the season. Santa Clause Claus rides the train to the joy of both youngsters and grown-ups on the train. Make certain to check the Chicago Transit Authority site for dates and times for the train, or you can have your lodging’s attendant give all of you all of the details.

Christkindlmart

Set in noteworthy Daley Plaza, Christkindlmart is an outside business sector open from the end of November through Christmas Eve consistently. It is a German American festival for the Christmas season. Guests can discover handmade endowments including candles, adornments, and gloves, or they can test some tasty nourishments from the business sector’s various sellers. Schnitzels, Stollen, marzipan confections, and lager are for deal at Christkindlmart. The business sector gets swarmed at lunchtime with nearby office specialists searching for a decent feast, so arrange your visit between 1:00 p.m. what’s more, 4:00 p.m. on the off chance that you are hoping to stay away from group.

The Magnificent Mile

Nothing says winter in Chicago like shopping along the city’s well known Magnificent Mile. The shops along Michigan Avenue incorporate a portion of the greatest names in retail, including Macy’s, Tiffany’s, Coach, and Chanel. A stop at the Water Tower Place, a skyscraper shopping center, can give a break from strolling in the harsh elements starting with one store then onto the next. You can likewise snatch a hot dinner at Gino’s East Pizza, which serves some of Chicago’s finest profound dish pizza.

Chicago may not be a tropical goal for your winter ventures, however a trek there amid the occasions will make recollections that you and your family will treasure for a lifetime.

Welcome to Fun Cat Sailing Tours the Catamaran if filled with fun, style and great experiences! Located in San Diego, California, the boat offers a variety of tours from Bachelorette Party fun to Whale Watching and Kayak Tours and they provide snacks and drinks on board as well. What makes the tours truly spectacular is the array of marine wild life seen on the beautiful seas as well as being on the water while the sun sets. From Sea Lions, Dolphins and Whales, this makes for a great view and an absolutely fun filled time. Owner of Fun Cat Sailing Tours is Captain Rod Jones, who has been in the sailing business for more than twenty five years. He owns two catamarans namely “Tigress” and “Wind Drum” and provides very friendly service. Give them a visit for a sailing adventure today.

What to Look Out For on Your Sailing Adventure

While sailing with Fun Cat, depending on the time of year, you will have the opportunity to view several different types of sea life. Fun Cat has the expertise and equipment to ensure you can get right up close to all of the marine life along the way. Some of the exciting sea life you might see on your Fun Cat cruise are:

Dolphins- The most commonly sighted dolphins are the common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and Risso’s dolphin.

Common Dolphin- There is two types of Common Dolphin, both of which are medium-sized with adult dolphins ranging between six point two and eight point two feet. They can weigh between 80–235 kg (176–518 lb), although the range between 80–150 kg (180–330 lb) is more common. The male dolphins of this species are generally longer and heavier. The color pattern on their body is unusual. The back is dark and the belly is white, while on each side is an hourglass pattern colored light grey, yellow, or gold in front and dirty grey in back. They have long, thin rostra with up to 50–60 small, sharp, interlocking teeth on each side of each jaw.

Bottlenose Dolphin- There is also two types of Bottle nosed dolphin; the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. They typically live in groups of ten to thirty members called pods. The common bottlenose dolphin is found in most tropical to temperate oceans, and it has a grey color, with the shade of grey varying among populations, but it can be bluish-grey, brownish-grey, or even nearly black, and is often darker on the back from the rostrum to behind the dorsal fin.

Risso’s Dolphin- Risso’s dolphin has a relatively large front body and dorsal fin, while the latter tapers to a relatively narrow tail. The bulbous head has a vertical crease in front. Their infants are dorsally grey to brown and ventrally cream-colored, with a white anchor-shaped area between the pectorals and around the mouth. In older calves, the nonwhite areas darken to nearly black, and then lighten (except for the always dark dorsal fin). Older individuals appear mostly white.

Fin Whales- The fin whales also called finback whale or razor back is the second largest species of whale after the blue whale. The fin whale’s body is long and slender and is colored brownish-grey with a paler underside. The fin whale is a large baleen whale that belongs to the cetacean order, which is composed of all species of whale, dolphin and porpoise.

Humpback Whales- Humpbacks can be identified by their stocky body, obvious hump, black dorsal coloring and elongated pectoral fins. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are hair follicles and are characteristic of the species. Their tails are fluked and typically rise above the surface when diving. It also has wavy trailing edges.

Gray Whales- The gray whale is also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale. They grew up to forty nine feet in length. The gray whale has a dark slate-grey colour and is covered by characteristic gray-white patterns, scars left by parasites which drop off in its cold feeding grounds. Individual whales are typically identified using photographs of their dorsal surface and matching the scars and patches associated with parasites that have fallen off the whale or are still attached. They have two blowholes on top of their head, which can create a distinctive V-shaped blow at the surface in calm wind conditions.

Californian Sea Lion -The Californian Sea Lion is one out of five in the sea lion species. It is sexually dimorphic, with the males being larger than females, and having a thicker neck and protruding crest. Differ in size, shape, and coloration between the sexes. Males are typically around seven point nine feet (7.9) long and weigh up to seven hundred and seventy pounds, while females are typically around five point nine feet (5.9) and weigh up to two hundred and twenty pounds. Females and juveniles have a tawny brown coat, although they may be temporarily light gray or silver after moulting. The coat of adult males can be anywhere from light brown to black, but is typically dark brown. The face of adult males may also be light tan in some areas. Pups have a black or dark brown pelage at birth. Although the species has a slender build, adult males have robust necks, chests, and shoulders. Adult males also have a protruding crest which gives them a “high, domed forehead”;[t is tufted with white hairs. They also have manes, which are less developed than those of adult male South American and Steller sea lions .Both sexes have long, narrow muzzles.

With the access to the online booking sites and ease of booking tickets, travelling to another place is not as difficult as it used to be. Yet, most of us end up spending more on travelling expenses than what we should spend. All thanks to the airline companies, as there is no upper limit to what they would charge for tickets. However, if you plan your travels and boom tickets smartly, you can save huge money that you would have spent otherwise on the airfares.

Here are some of the best money-saving tricks that you can leverage to find the best travel deals and book the cheapest flights.

Use the 24 Hour Rule

When you have booked your ticket, check whether the price of the airfare fell or not the next morning or within the 24 hours. Most of the times it happens and if it has happened, you can give a call to the airline office to cancel your already booked ticket and often you get the opportunity to rebook the ticket without requiring to pay any penalty.

Avoid Travelling on the Weekends

Most of the airlines experience optimum occupancy on the weekends and weekdays are often not highly loaded. So, if saving money on air tickets is your agenda, try booking a flight in the weekdays instead of busy weekends.

Travel In the Least Busy Hours

Often, early mornings and late night flights are the ones which get the least number of passengers while the ones during the peak hours of the day are mostly fully occupied. Owing to the higher demand for the peak hour’s tickets and very lesser demand for tickets in the early or late hours, the airlines charge low airfares to attract passengers for these flights. So, it is a great opportunity to save money on air tickets.

Choose BYO Food on Airline

These days most of the airlines offer passengers the option to buy their own food while on the flight and opt out of mandatory meal expenses. As a result, the tickets without the meal inclusions are much cheaper than the ones that include the meals. Thus, it is another great way to save money on air fares.

Try Booking Tickets for Wednesday

As per farecompare.com, Wednesdays are the cheapest days of the weeks in terms of air ticket prices. So, whenever possible, plan your travel in such a way that you travel on this day of the week.

Book Tickets on Tuesday, 3 PM EST

While many would not believe, but, it has been observed by a plethora of airline ticket booking websites worldwide and even has been verified by a study carried out by fareCompare.com that the ticket prices at this time are the lowest in the entire week, especially for domestic travel.